Many in western societies suffer from vascular diseases, some of which are diseases of peripheral blood vessels (excluding the heart and brain). An example of such diseases is peripheral occlusive arterial disease (PAOD). In the aforementioned diseases, blood vessels become narrowed or clogged. Most common cause for PAOD is atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a gradual process in which a fibrous, calcified, fatty, or scar tissue builds up, forming plaque that obstructs blood flow to the body periphery. Plaque deposits build up along artery walls and affect blood circulation. When blood flow is severely restricted, intermittent claudication (painful cramping in the leg or hip, particularly when walking), rest pain, ulceration and in extreme cases tissue gangrene ensues which may require, in severe cases, amputation of the affected limb. It is a major cause of life and limb loss, especially in aging population. Several treatment options are currently available, including medical treatment, angioplasty, atherectomy and peripheral bypasses of occluded arterial segments. Currently, no effective drug therapy for opening occluded vessels is available. The success rate of the above-mentioned therapeutic methods is moderate. Furthermore, many patients are not fit for such operations, either on medical grounds or due to anatomical limitations. Also, many cases are not amenable to surgical reconstruction and may end up in gangrene and amputation. Amputation rate in western societies is estimated at about 300 cases per million of population, annually, causing severe suffering and physical disability for patients, as well as imposing heavy financial burdens. To avoid amputation many patients need complex and potentially dangerous operations, between 300-400 vascular reconstructions being performed upon the peripheral arterial tree, per million of population, annually. The present invention provides an alternative treatment to the conventional treatments whereby blood flow is peripherally assisted through the area of impedance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,573 (Habib), titled BLOOD FLOW, filed in 1990, discloses a method for improving the blood flow peripherally, through the use of a pump placed in or around a blood vessel supplying blood to a region of increased impedance, and acting to pump blood in the required direction. The pump comprises a housing annularly surrounding a blood vessel, said housing containing a plurality of flexible inflatable containers mounted around the blood vessel and means for effecting sequential inflation and deflation of said containers so as to create a peristaltic pumping effect. A problem arises with the described pump, as it is considerably complicated for assembling, controlling and implanting.
US 20030233023 (Khaghani et al.) discloses a blood circulation assistance device, for location around a blood conduit. The device comprises: an inflatable bladder moveable between a contracted form and an expanded form, for compressing the blood conduit to provide counterpulsation. Pump means in fluid communication with the bladder move the bladder from the contracted form to the expanded form. The pump means comprises a centrifugal impeller rotatable about an axis to effect pumping. The impeller is moveable axially between first and second positions to effect a reversal of the direction of pumping. Control means, in communication with the pump means, is capable of monitoring the cardiac cycle of an individual and triggering the pump means to move the bladder to the expanded form at diastole. An outer cuff, surrounds at least a portion of the bladder, providing an outer limiting extent to the movement of the bladder.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a blood flow booster, which is compact, made up of relatively fewer parts, and fairly simple to implant, if implantation is sought.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a blood flow booster, which is extra-arterial.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a blood flow booster, which is non-occluding.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a blood flow booster, which is ECG sensitive.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a blood flow booster, which is electromechanical.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a blood flow booster, which is also tissue compatible that does not interfere with normal antegrade (i.e. in the correct direction) blood flow.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a blood flow booster having relatively simple structure.
More objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.